We were prepared for a cold night, and had it, though no heavy frost formed, as had done the night before.  In one day’s journey, the traveller finds towns, in this neighborhood, with totally different climates.  Here woolen garments are necessary, and in towns like Chamula and Cancuc the indians find the heaviest ones comfortable.  Our rating of the carretero had an effect both prompt and dire; when we left him, he hastened to hire carriers to bring in the more important part of our load; these, he insisted, should travel all night, and at eight o’clock we found them at the hotel.  In the darkness they had stumbled, and our loads had fallen.  Whole boxes of unused plates were wrecked, and, still worse, many of our choicest negatives were broken.  At nine o’clock the missing mozo appeared with the instruments; it is customary for our carrier to keep up with the company, as we have frequent need of taking views upon the journey; this was almost the only instance, in the hundreds of leagues that we have travelled on horseback, over mountain roads, where our carrier had failed to keep alongside of the animals, or make the same time in journeying that we mounted travellers did.

[Illustration:  THE JAIL; SAN CRISTOBAL]

[Illustration:  TZOTZIL MUSICIANS IN SAN CRISTOBAL JAIL]

Though there had been an early mist, there was no lack of sunshine, even before seven.  Still, we did not go to the palace until nine o’clock, the hour set.  San Cristobal was formerly the capital of the state, and its public buildings are more pretentious than usual in cabeceras.  The place in which we did our work was a building of two stories, filling one side of the plaza.  We worked in the broad corridor of the second story, outside of the secretario’s office, from which our subjects, mostly indians who had come to pay school-taxes, were sent to us for measurement.  The market-place of San Cristobal is characteristically indian.  Not only do the two chief tribes which frequent it—­Tzotzils and Tzendals—­differ in dress, but even the different villages of each wear characteristic garments.  The Tzotzil of Chamula differs from his brother of Huixtan and San Bartolome; the Tzendal women of Tenejapa, Cancuc and San Andres may be quickly recognized by difference in dress.

Most interesting are the Tzotzils of Chamula.  Though looked upon by the mestizos of San Cristobal as mere brutes and savages, they are notably industrious.  They weave heavy, woolen blankets and chamaras; they are skilled carpenters, making plain furniture of every kind; they are musicians, and manufacture quantities of harps, guitars, and violins; they braid straw, and make hats of palm; they are excellent leather-dressers, and give a black stain and polish to heavy leather, which is unequalled by the work of their white neighbors.  Men wear lower garments of cotton, and heavy black woolen over-garments, which are gathered at the waist